The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-02-05
Ths Ottawa free Vraaer.
EDITORIAL COMMENT.

ions constituency having awaited with In
,erest the presentation OF the measure are
somewhat surprised TO find that MIR browne
instead of doing away with the giant evil
of gaming, has attached the evil OF drink
ing raw whisky. In other words ne mas
int. educed bill making 1t misdemeahor'
nun,sbable with a fine, for anyone to oiier
for sale any whisky that is less than TWO
vears and nine months old. The step
which Mr.. Browne has taken Is step IN
the right direction, and he may rest assured
That his constituency is with him. There
ia something revOiting In the thought OF
drinking whisky that is of more tender
age. And then, too, it is hard to swaiio"
II burns and stings and makes life wear
lsome burden II is very probable thA' II
produces intoxication quicker. AT any rate
il produces intoXiCation that Is more lar
reaching in Its effects. 1t leaves more
welldeflned headache, and makes tht
6rinKer show in more marked degree
the ravages Of time. In short, whisky uh
seasoned by the mellowing influence OF
ace Is simply vile Browne having Cd
served all this has risen to the emergency
and introduced the measure spoken OF. Lev
the legislature do its duty now and we VIII
no longer he compelled to subject our
,broats and stomaChs 10 the injurious ell
fects OF the juvenile whisky now dealt out
Mr.. Supervisor Gum may at times lie
very lrrascible on the Board, but he very
hard worker and man Of very good sense
He showed this when he suggested to the
Board of Supervisors on Thursday that II
would be unwise to go into committee OF
the whole and hear a partial report from
the committee on investigation. What
good could possibly be accomplished by
such move we cannot understand. Unjust
charges might be made, which full and
complete lnvestig ition would prove such
SO, too, It would give the whole matter tc
the public, and the rumor already current
would be made more so. AS we have here
tofore said, the less talk there Is in the
newspapers about the Investigation the bet
ter Il will be for the investigation. II will
do DO good 10 discuss II pro and con until
there are assured facts 70 base such discus
sion upon.
Just why persons personal affairs
which are In no wise connected with apub-
lie matter under discussion, should be
dragged into the public prints is TO US i'm
peroeptable. We believe il was In very
bad taste Ia Supervisor Norton TO even him
ut Chairman Lewis private matters 70 {
newspaper reporter II was not only in bat
taste, but II smacked somewhat OF malic
iousness and could not possibly result II
good. Mr. Lewis private affairs are no
pertinent 10, and have no relation TO- III,
coSntry's Indebtedness, and the attempt tc
make them such is decidedly out Of place
We believe thoroughly In proper discus
sion of public servants public acts, but
we do not deem 1t necessary In order TO es'
tabllsh point to 60 out OF the way and
drag TO public view something that in no
wise concerns the public, In nowise pro
notes the public good, and Is none of the
public business Mr.. Lewis has seen fit "a
reply to Mr. Norton through letter in the
StreatOr Free Press. He should not have
done that much. lie should have left II tc
the right mindedness Of the people u
Judge of the Improperly OF Mr., Norton,
assault
Now that the county has taken up and
paid the notes which, though just, were
not exactly legal, it Is to be hoped that
more sCrupulous care will be taken In the
future and thereby avoid the talk that ha,
teen current for two weeks about illegal
ny, population" and so on 1t Is undoubt
edly true that all the notes outstanding
were given and renewed, rs n matter Of ne
cessity; but the necessity can be obviated
If attention Is paid to the resolution of Su
peryisor Fischer prohibiting the borrowing
Of money except upon specific order OF
the Board THIS will relieve the chairman
and treasurer of any responsibility IN tn,
matter, and place such responsibility wher,
1t properly belongs, viz: upon the mem
beers of the Board of Supervisors.
We are sorry to announce 20 our reader
that the tariff reform article from Nh
hollywood failed 10 reach us this week. Tn,
subject Will be resumed by him next week
Today Mr. James reply No. 4 is published
The Interest which these articles are al
tracing Is very great The Bureau count,
Tribune reproduces them In full In
leading editorial on the subject the edito
Of that paper says ain his attempts Il
meet the arguments of Professor HOLLYWOOD
Mr.. James shows structural weakness be
yond remedy remedy not so much o
intellect OF argumentative ability as of III,
cause he Advocates cause, we firmly he
lieve, sustained by no persons who have
carefully studied II, unless they have